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Tip-up Town USA
Starts: 01/18/2025 - Ends: 01/19/2025
Houghton Lake hosts the annual Tip-up Town USA festival that includes tip-up ice fishing, a rodeo, a polar bear plunge, an ice slide, carnival games and rides, food trucks, live music - it is the ultimate celebration of Northern Michigan winter fun!
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Big Ticket Festival
Starts: 06/26/2025 - Ends: 06/28/2025
Experience 60 musical artists in 4 days at the Big Ticket Festival! This Christian rock festival brings family and friends together for concerts, activities and kids' games!
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Alpenfest 2025
Starts: 07/08/2025 - Ends: 07/12/2025
Come to Gaylord for one of their biggest weekends of the year! Ever heard of "The Burning of the Boog?" There will be traditions, music, and food you have never heard of before as downtown Gaylord puts on an Alpine-inspired celebration that honors the city's heritage and partnership with sister city, Pontresina, Switzerland. The entertainment is top-notch and includes Rolling Stones and Katy Perry tribute bands, 80's rock, classic rock, country, polka and German music, and to further honor the theme, a 14-piece Bavarian style band. There will also be two parades (a walking parade and a grand parade), carnival rides, Queen and Princess pageants, a car show, a craft show, food vendors...do I need to say more? Oh, there is more! If you like to run or walk, sign up for the half marathon, 10k, 5.9k or 1-mile fun run. Grab your lederhosen (yes, you'll see those there too) and join in the fun!
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AuSable River Festival & Canoe Marathon
Starts: 07/20/2025 - Ends: 07/27/2025
Head to downtown Grayling the last full week of July as they celebrate the AuSable River Canoe Marathon and Festival! We have events for everyone - Street Eats, Crafts Show, Car Show, Kids Day, Main Stage and even our own HUP Race. The festival ends with the AuSable River Canoe Marathon, a grueling, non-stop 120 mile canoe race starting in Grayling and ending in Oscoda. This is an event you don't want to miss!
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National Cherry Festival
Starts: 06/28/2025 - Ends: 07/05/2025
The National Cherry Festival offers over 130 events throughout the eight-day celebration, including all time favorites like air shows, Bay Side Entertainment, parades, daily kids events, the Festival of Races and, of course, Cherry Pie Eating and Pit Spitting competitions for every age.
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Snowmobiling in Michigan
Starts: 12/01/2024 - Ends: 03/31/2025
Northern Michigan is considered the perfect spot for your next getaway with an area average of over 180 inches of snowfall annually making for some of the best snowmobiling conditions you can find. State-designated trails are open Dec.1-March 31 and trail grooming occurs when there is enough snow on the ground.
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Gaylord Alpenfrost 2025
Starts: 02/15/2025 - Ends: 02/15/2025
Embrace Winter! Get ready for a fun-filled day of excitement as Alpenfrost returns to Gaylord! Check out this amazing snow-themed they have planned for you! Come run, hunt, shop, build a snowman, sip some cocoa and MORE!
9 am: Frosty 5k
10 am: Cocoa Crawl
10 am -12 pm: RISE Snowman building on the County lawn
10 am -4 pm: -Cryptid Frozen Creature Hunt
10 am -5 pm: Stores open for business
1 pm -2 pm: Soup Cook off (Kids edition) at North Life Church
2 pm – 3 pm: Frosty Dip under the pavilion
3 pm -4 pm: Anna and Elsa at Plot Bound Books
4 pm -5 pm: Anna and Elsa one-on-one photo shoot for people at the Content Studio.
5 pm – 6 pm: Rusty Pelican Wine and Watercolors
7 pm – 10 pm: Karaoke at Karma Taproom.
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Bigfoot Weekend
Starts: 08/01/2025 - Ends: 08/03/2025
Ever see a Bigfoot? Have a good time looking for one at our Bigfoot Weekend! More details to come in 2025!
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Western Weekend
Starts: 07/18/2025 - Ends: 07/20/2025
Lasso up those kids and join the wagon train headed toward the Gaylord KOA! We are planning a rootin' tootin' good time for y'all. We will be cooking over a campfire, going on a wagon trail ride of our own, and watching an outdoor movie under the stars. There will also be lasso ropin', tin-can shootin' (with water, of course), and pool noodle horse makin'. Spend a fun-filled weekend with us as we bring a Western vibe to Northern Michigan!
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Sci-Fi Weekend
Starts: 06/27/2025 - Ends: 06/29/2025
Are we alone? Come and have fun at our Sci-Fi Weekend! More details to come in 2025!
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Dog Days of Summer Weekend
Starts: 09/05/2025 - Ends: 09/07/2025
This weekend is all about catering to your DOGS. We are still building out our activities for the weekend, but we will definitely be having our 2nd Annual Dog Swim! Your pup will not want to miss it. More details to come in 2025!
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Memorial Day Parade in Gaylord
Starts: 05/26/2025 - Ends: 05/26/2025
Everyone loves a parade! And when the parade honors our military, it makes the experience a little richer. The parade begins and marches East down Main Street to the Memorial. VFW Post 1518 will lead the Parade, community members will carry the 20'x30' American Flag. At the Memorial, the VFW will ceremoniously fold the flag, place it on display and proceed with the ceremony. Come and be a part of this special day.
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Carnival Weekend
Starts: 08/08/2025 - Ends: 08/10/2025
Smell the popcorn? Can't stop thinking about cotton candy? Ready to play some carnival games? Come to Carnival Weekend! More details to come in 2025!
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Star-Spangled Weekend!
Starts: 07/03/2025 - Ends: 07/06/2025
With July 4th being on a Thursday, that gives us a few extra days of FUN activities to do with you! We start the long weekend with a marshmallow roast, then go full steam in with a foam party, wagon rides, a pool party, tie-dye t-shirts, a bubble party, rock painting, games and more, We will also celebrate with food through the weekend, including a free continental breakfast, a weenie roast, an ice cream social, and s'mores!
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Foraging Event
Starts: 05/03/2025 - Ends: 05/03/2025
Join Herbalist Sierra LaRose will join us again for an experiential herb walk getting to know our area edible and medicinal plants. More details to come in 2025!
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Pirate Weekend
Starts: 06/06/2025 - Ends: 06/08/2025
Ahoy matey! Batten down the hatches at home and steer your ship toward the Gaylord KOA for this Yo-ho-ho Happy weekend! Shiver me TIMBERS, we have a busy weekend planned for you. Bring a few doubleloons to tie-dye a t-shirt, mine for gold, or buy some grog at the Kampstore, but other than that the swimming pool, jumping pillow, mini-golf, playgrounds, banana bikes, cornhole, gaga pit, continental breakfast and Pirate Activities are FREE!
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56th International 500 Snowmobile Races
Starts: 01/26/2025 - Ends: 02/01/2025
The International 500 Snowmobile Endurance Race is Michigan's most thrilling experience for riders and motorsport fans! Since 1969, hundreds of thousands of die-hard snowmobile and winter enthusiasts have journeyed to Sault Ste. Marie, MI to enjoy the frozen, snowy spectacle of the International 500 Snowmobile Race, and be a part of the Upper Peninsula's most astonishing snowmobile action!
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Dinosaur Weekend
Starts: 06/13/2025 - Ends: 06/15/2025
Have a Roaring good time at our Dinosaur Weekend! More details to come in 2025!
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Ren Faire Weekend
Starts: 08/15/2025 - Ends: 08/17/2025
We start the weekend at the Ye Olde Fire Pit, slow roasting a juicy...marshmallow...over a nice hot fire. Join us for an action packed weekend of jousting and juggling, knights and jesters and a starlit showing of a favorite movie!
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Victoria Day Weekend
Starts: 05/16/2025 - Ends: 05/19/2025
To our friends north of the border, we welcome you to spend Victoria Day Weekend with us! More details to come in 2025.
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Fall-O-Ween at the Gaylord KOA
Starts: 09/19/2025 - Ends: 09/21/2025
Come enjoy all the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of FALL at the Gaylord KOA. Decorate your campsite, go trick or treating, walk a spooky or not-so-spooky trail and enjoy a weekend's worth of themed activities!
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Memorial Day Weekend!
Starts: 05/23/2025 - Ends: 05/26/2025
Come and enjoy your Memorial Day weekend in Northern Michigan!
The Gaylord KOA will have three days of fun activities for you and your kids to enjoy. Daniel and Victoria, our Activity Coordinators, have planned food, crafts, games, wagon rides and more for you this weekend! More details coming in 2025!
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Fall-O-Ween at the Gaylord KOA!
Starts: 09/26/2025 - Ends: 09/28/2025
Come enjoy all the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of FALL at the Gaylord KOA. Decorate your campsite, go trick or treating, walk a spooky or not-so-spooky trail and enjoy a weekend's worth of themed activities!
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Groovy Weekend
Starts: 06/20/2025 - Ends: 06/22/2025
Hey Sunshine - make your way to the Gaylord KOA June 20-22 and spread only good vibes during our Groovy 70's themed weekend! Make a tie-dye t-shirt to match those wide bell-bottom jeans, create a fab craft, boogie down during our bubble party, roast a marshmallow, make a s'more and settle in for a far out outdoor movie. It's going to be an 'outta sight' weekend. Totally off-the-hook. We may have gone too far, so we'll end with...peace, love and granola.
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Christmas in July!
Starts: 07/25/2025 - Ends: 07/27/2025
It's Christmas at the Gaylord KOA! Cookies and milk, roasting chestnuts....no, actually marshmallows over the fire, pine cone Christmas trees, a "snow" foam party, a sleigh-themed wagon ride and Christmas movie trivia are just a few of the activities Daniel & Victoria have dreamed up for you this July. Come ho-ho-ho your way through a fun weekend in the woods of Northern Michigan!
